Life, Interrupted
by riters-Bloq
Summary: Just when all seemed right, the world came crashing down on Chloe O'Brien. She was pregnant and Jack was dead. Or was he? JC, T for mild language. NOW COMPLETE! Sorry for the delay...hope you guys enjoy. Let me know what you think!
1. Prologue

_We all know the drill here. I don't own 24, as much as I would like to. I also don't own Jack and Chloe...they all belong to Fox. Le sigh This fic is a total work in progress, and I'd really like to know what you guys think. Your reviews help me decide whether or not to finish this bad boy. Anyway, here's my extra-long prologue. Enjoy and happy reading!_

_-A_

The warm rays of the sun woke Chloe O'Brian that morning. Her window was open, letting the breeze tousle her already mussed hair and filling her with the sweet smells of Spring. She smiled to herself. She knew Jack had done this. Turning over, she saw his side of the bed was already made, his badge and gun already gone from the nightstand. She sighed, wishing that he could have gotten a day off today. They never had their days off together, not even when they tried. Something always came up, and today was no exception. Stretching, she pulled her robe around her and headed down to the kitchen where she was greeted by toast, bacon, and eggs that were slightly cold, but delicious none the less. Under the carafe of juice on the table she saw the note.

Chloe,

Sorry I had to run. Got a call from CTU, had to go in for a while.

I'll be back soon, hopefully by the time you're back from the doctor's office.

Hope you're feeling better.  
All my Love,

Jack

She sipped the juice and smiled inwardly. Life was looking up for Chloe O'Brian. She had been promoted to Head Computer Analyst at CTU, and had was finally in the relationship she had longed for for so long with Jack. Six months now they had been together, and the two had never been happier. They even moved out of the city and into a beautiful, albeit heavily secured old home in the outskirts of town in order to live a quieter life. In fact, the only thing bothering her at all was the stomach virus she'd had for the past week, and she was going to get that taken care of today. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was almost 10:30. Her appointment was at noon. After calculating things in her head for a minute, she decided she would have just enough time to shower, get dressed, fix her hair (something she rarely did,) and get on the road. She thought about calling Jack, but decided against it. He was probably too busy to talk anyway.

0000

Chloe sat on the paper sheeted table and felt the blood drain from her face. "Are you serious?" She stammered, staring at the smiling doctor across the room from her.

"As a heart attack!" Dr. Gold laughed. When he didn't get the reaction he wanted from her, he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Just a joke. But yes, Miss O'Brian. Our tests show that you are in fact, pregnant. Congratulations."

Chloe nodded, her face a mixture of a grimace and a smile. "Thanks." She managed, as she grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. Walking out to her car, she was numb. _Pregnant…Me. I'M pregnant. We're pregnant. We're having a baby. _She thought, even saying it out loud a couple of times hoping it would make it seem more real.As she started the engine of her Chevy Malibu, she suddenly felt like she was bursting with happiness. She had to tell him now, it couldn't wait. She grabbed her cell phone and quickly punched in Jack's number. "C'mon Jack…pick up for once…" She muttered, hardly able to contain her excitement. Finally, a voice on the other end of the line. "Hi, you've reached Jack Bauer. I'm not available at the moment, so leave me a message." Chloe hesitated for a second, trying to think of exactly what to say. Finally she settled on, "Jack, it's Chloe. I'm pregnant. Come home." She decided a split second before hanging up that this sounded too coarse, so she added an "I love you" to the end and hung up. Then she exhaled, and began her drive home.

It wasn't long before her cell phone rang. The distinctive ring signified that it was Jack calling, so she picked up quickly. "Hey Jack!" She began cheerfully. "Chloe, it's Bill Buchanan." The voice on the other end replied, his tone subdued and foreboding. "Bill? Why do you have Jack's phone?" She asked, a hint of worry beginning to form in her gut. "Chloe we need you to come to CTU as soon as possible." "Why?" "I'll debrief you when you get here. Just come fast." Static rang out as he hung up, and Chloe's fears began to grow. Something wasn't right. Making an Illegal U-turn in the middle of the parkway, she sped towards CTU headquarters as fast as she could.

Walking in, she felt that something was wrong. The room was silent, and all eyes were on her. Bill Buchanan took a step toward her and offered his hand. "Chloe…" He began. She swallowed, trying to keep her cool "Bill, where is Jack? I need to talk to him about something." She could feel her hands beginning to tremble, and Bill took one in his hand. "Chloe, Jack's not here." He told her slowly, his voice even and falsely soothing. Panic began to register in her brain, and was becoming evident in her increasingly shaky voice. "Wh…What do you mean he's _not here_. He works here. He left me a note saying he was…was coming in. What do you mean he's not HERE Bill?" The silent, somber expression on his face confirmed her worst fears.

"Chloe…" He began after a beat. "I'm so sorry. There was nothing we could do."

She stopped hearing after that, the ringing echo in her head too loud for her to decipher anything else. "No…" She whispered, running a hand through her brunette hair. "No Bill…this isn't happening…" She staggered, feebly searching for a chair. _C'mon Chloe, calm down. This is a mistake. It has to be. Just get a grip._ She told herself, breathing deeply and slowly to make the ringing in her ears go away. Bill handed her some water and laid a hand on her back, saying some more things she still couldn't make out. Taking a sip of the tepid tap water, she drew in another breath, exhaling slowly. She was in control now. She could get answers. "What…happened to him." She whispered softly, her words slow and shaky.

Bill rubbed the back of his neck. "There was a tip that one of Yassir Al Amin's men was in the Los Angeles area. Our teams concluded he was hiding out in a warehouse near Koreatown. We sent Jack to check it out since he's been working the case for the past month. There wasn't supposed to be any risk…no one knew." He stopped, collecting his thoughts.

Chloe's eyes narrowed. "Knew what, Bill?"

"The warehouse was rigged with state of the art motion sensing equipment. Jack went in…and it went up. There was…" His voice cracked and he swallowed a heave. "There was nothing we could do. I'm so sorry Chloe. He's dead."

_He's dead._

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. Even though she had known from the moment she walked into CTU, the words "He's dead" made it so….final. She sat, stunned. Unable to speak. She hadn't felt this helpless since…never. She had never felt this helpless. Noticing the gathering of onlookers behind them, Bill waved a hand signaling them to disperse. "Chloe…perhaps you'd like to come to my office for a while before you go to the morgue. You'd have more privacy up there…" She shook her head feebly. "I'm fine. Take me to the morgue."

Bill hesitated a moment. "Are you sure you don't want to wait? They haven't…cleaned him up yet." "I said now, Bill." She snapped, shutting her eyes afterward. "Sorry." He nodded and helped her up. The hall leading to the morgue seemed so foreign to her now, though she had been down it countless times during her time at CTU. She stayed silent, clutching Bill's hand as they got nearer to the room.

"Chloe, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah Bill. I…I'm sure. Best to I.D him now, right? Since I'm here and all."

As he opened the door, the stench of death overwhelmed her. Chemical fumes from the sterilizer used to clean the instruments, the antibacterial soap in the dispenser. And under it all, the smell of burnt rubber and flesh. She swallowed, stepped toward the cold slab where Jack lay under a white sheet. The morgue worker slowly pulled it back, and she gasped audibly.

It was true.

He lay flat, lifeless and slightly warm on the slab. His face was black from ashes and burns, his eyes puffy and swollen shut. Normally pink lips were now turning ashen, and his hands…she took one in hers, stroking its calluses gently as the drying blood stained her flesh a dark red. The hands she loved so much. The hands that held her. The hands that would now never hold their child…

Their child who now had no father.

For the first time since she heard the news, she cried. Soft tears dripped from her cheek and ran down the still arm of the man she loved.

"I'm so sorry Jack…I'm so sorry…"

From the doorway, Bill Buchanan watched, hoping he had done the right thing.

00000

The funeral was held on the Monday after Easter, and Chloe was shocked at everyone who had shown up to pay their respects. The service was beautiful, the closed casket draped with an American flag that reminded her of a presidential funeral. Afterwards there was a catered reception, but she had no interest in going. The morning sickness was keeping her from eating much of anything. Her view on her pregnancy had changed drastically since Jack's death. Once glad and full of optimistic hope about bringing a new life into the world, she was now angry and scared. She was going to have to raise this baby alone, something she didn't think she could do. She contemplated abortion for a day or so, but ultimately decided that like it or not, she was carrying her only link to Jack. So the days, weeks and months passed, and as her belly grew larger, the sympathetic looks grew more and more frequent. She hated being "Poor Jack's girlfriend," "The one having Jack's baby" and the like. When Bill suggested maybe she should work from home, she blew up at him. Why would she want to go home when there was nothing to go home to? She hated that house. She hated everything and everyone, especially the tiny being she was now sharing her existence with.

Life was easier when she was just Chloe.


	2. Shattered

-1Chloe O'Brian was struggling to get out of her padded office chair. _Dammit,_ she thought to herself. This wasn't so hard last week. This wasn't as hard yesterday, come to think of it. She sighed angrily. The aching muscles in her back pleaded with her to just stay seated, but the sharp pangs in her bladder told her that it would be in her best interest to suck it up and head to the bathroom.

_Maybe if I just roll my way over there…_

Desperate thoughts were interrupted by the familiarly concerned voice of her co-worker. "You okay, Chloe? You look like you need some help." She scowled. "I'm fine Edgar. I don't need you to watch over me all the time. I'm a big girl." She inhaled deeply and made one more valiant attempt to hoist herself out of the plush rolly chair, but to no avail. She cursed herself quietly as she admitted defeat.

"Edgar?"

"Yeah Chloe?"

"Can you help me up?"

0000

Chloe was not the mothering type. She never had been, and she especially wasn't now. As a child she had always been more accustomed to playing with toy soldiers and cowboys n' Indians rather than playing with Barbies or playing house. She liked kids well enough, she supposed. She was pretty good with Chase's daughter Angela, but then again when she got fussy she could always give her back to Chase to take care of. She had decided long ago that having kids wasn't for her. She was too coarse. Too blunt to be tender. She didn't know how to comfort a crying baby or wipe a runny nose. None of those motherly things. Her own mother wasn't that much of one, maybe that's where she got it. Or lacked it, as the case may be.

But she'd had eight months to learn, and still had one more month left. As she lowered her head onto the pillow that night she gazed sadly at the picture by her bed. Those had been better times. The picture was from the CTU Company picnic, one of the few times she had seen him really enjoy himself. The last time they had gone out together. Looking at the picture she was flooded with memories. The storm that had ruined the food, the way he kissed her in the rain when no one was looking, the love they made that night after they had gotten home, soaked and tired. She never would have believed that eight months later he would be dead and she would be alone. Not that she could say she was surprised. Nothing in her life ever seemed to go as planned. She would make it work, though. Just like she always did. For now though, she would rest. As she closed her eyes, she touched the glass frame and whispered.

"Good night, Jack."

0000

She woke up the next morning feeling uneasy. Not sure if it was the soup she had eaten before bed, or something else, She took some Tums to be on the safe side and made her way to the shower. As she let the warm water hit her face, she couldn't help but feel like something was going to happen. Something major. Worry consumed her, but she shook it off as best she could. She didn't have time to worry. She was running late. Pulling her hair back into a wet ponytail, she put some clothes on and headed to work.

She arrived late, no thanks to the bumper to bumper traffic on the freeway. As she walked to her workstation she noticed an eerie feel to CTU today. It looked like business as usual, but everyone seemed to be focused on something in Bill Buchanan's office. Her mind drifted back to the feeling she'd had this morning and she swallowed nervously. Spotting Edgar out of the corner of her eye, Chloe drew his attention from Buchanan's office by handing him a donut.

"What's going on?" She murmured, not wanting to attract attention. Edgar ravaged the pastry, shrugging. "I dunno. Bill's been up there all day talking to someone. Rumor has it it's the new head of field ops."

"Is that all?" Chloe replied, mildly disappointed at his answer.

"Like I said. As far as I know."

She nodded and sat down at her workstation, opening her laptop. "Thanks Edgar." She sighed as she began her work, her mind quickly forgetting the stranger in the office.

Hours passed and Chloe found herself delving deep into her assignments. She had to get them done before she went on maternity leave, because she knew enough about babies that she knew she would never get them done if she waited. Working through lunch, she only stopped when she felt the familiar pang in her bladder that signified it was time for a break. As she headed towards the ladies room, she heard the soft metal clank of Bill's door shutting, followed by a voice that stopped her in her tracks.

"Chloe."

She turned slowly, her mouth agape as she recognized the man who had called her name.

"…Jack?"

His blue steel gaze softened at the sight of her, a small smile almost forming on his face. Chloe blinked a couple of times, frozen, making sure her eyes weren't playing cruel tricks on her.

They weren't.

In an instant she was overcome with a flood of emotion. What first came to her as shock and relief at his appearance quickly turned to shock and anger. He was _alive. _He'd been alive _all this time._ As she snapped back into the moment, she noticed the alert eyes of everyone on the floor, watching them. The silence was deafening. She needed to get out of this situation.

Swallowing tightly, she turned and walked away, leaving Jack Bauer standing on the cold metal steps alone.

0000


	3. Return to Sender

-1She managed to keep her cool until she actually locked herself in the stall. Then the flood of emotions running through her head burst forth again with devastating severity.

"Oh, GOD!" She sobbed, her face buried in shaky hands. What had just happened? How could he have been standing there? Jack was dead. That meant forever. On the one hand, she was relieved that he had been standing there, clearly alive. On the other hand, what the hell? How could he have done this to her? The devastation, the pain, the worry, all of that seemed so…fake. Meaningless. For eight months she had dealt with his death, and now just as she was getting her life back together he just shows up like it was some kind of horrible joke? How could he?

The metal creaking of the bathroom door and soft footsteps making their way toward the stalls prompted her to quiet down and compose herself.

_Surely to God he wouldn't have come in the ladies room…_She thought.

She was wrong.

"Chloe? Chloe please. Talk to me." Jack pleaded quietly, his voice gravely with exhaustion mixed with pain.

Glaring at the tile floor, she took a deep breath. "Go away, Jack. You're dead remember? You can't be here."

He paused a moment, and Chloe could see his shadow descending on her stall. "Please, Chloe."

Wiping her eyes quickly with her sleeve, Chloe slowly unlocked the door and took a step forward, looking at him with aching eyes. He looked rough. A dirty black t-shirt riddled with holes clung to his muscular, yet exhausted body. A bandage on his forearm hid a large gash, one that would surely require stitches. His hair was mussed, and she could see that it had been quite a while since he had shaved. Dark circles had formed under his clear blue eyes, and his face looked gaunt. The sight of him alone nearly rendered her speechless. She'd never seen him look this bad before. He looked…dead.

"What happened to you?" She whispered, not knowing what else to say to him.

A forced smile formed on his mouth, and he scratched his jaw with a dirty hand. "C'mon now…I don't look that bad, do I?"

"Yeah, you do." She replied, still keeping her distance.

She watched as he looked her over, and swallowed as his eyes settled on her growing stomach.

"I never pictured you as a mother." He said dryly. Chloe bristled. "Yeah, well neither did I."

Swallowing, he forced another tiny smile. "Picked out a name yet?"

"Olivia if it's a girl…" She replied, her voice trailing.

Jack studied her, waiting. "And if it's a boy?"

She remained silent for a beat, not wanting to answer. "How could you…" She blurted finally, unable to play his game and mask her anger any longer.

His eyes cut to the tile floor of the bathroom, not having the courage to look into her face.

"Chloe…I wanted to tell you. I did. I just--" She took a step forward. "Just what, Jack? Just thought I was an acceptable loss? Thought I would understand? Jack, what the hell were you thinking? We had a life. A good one. And you just threw it away for nothing? For a case that wasn't even worth looking into?"

"I didn't want--" "No, Jack." She interrupted angrily. "I don't want to hear it. I saw you in the morgue. You were dead. And now you're here like nothing happened. I buried you, Jack…." Her voice broke ever so slightly.

He moved toward her, brushing a stray piece of hair away from her face. "I'm sorry…" He whispered softly.

She pulled away angrily and stared him square in the eye, bitter hatred detectable in her voice.

"Just go. You're dead to me."

Jack was silent, stunned. He couldn't even begin to think of what to say. He knew she was right, what he had done was unacceptable. She had very right to be angry. Running a hand through his mussed hair, he headed toward the door.

"Oh by the way…" He murmured, glancing back at her defeatedly as he walked out.

"I got your message."

0000


	4. Shaking the Tree

_**Okay, yall. Here are the next three chapters. They're a little shorter, mainly because I don't like them. I feel like the story is kinda falling apart on me after chapter 4. Like before, tell me what you think. Maybe it's just me...or maybe I'm writing a really sucky story. :D  
-A**_

**_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

_I got your message._

The words had angered her even further, yet at the same time seemed to break her heart. So he had known about the baby the whole time…and still made the decision he had made. Why? Had it _actually_ been necessary? Her head was bombarded with thoughts of doubt and wonder, trying to make sense of what was happening around her. Jack was _alive_. But he was dead, too. She _had_ buried him, after all. She didn't understand. She was too angry to talk to him, yet she wanted answers. She thought for a moment, holding her now aching head. Who else had he seen today? Her mind shot back to that morning. The "head of field ops" upstairs. Bill. He had talked to Bill, and now she would do the same.

She ran a hand through her hair and wiped the mascara from her face, looking at her reflection in the grimy mirror. Her burgeoning stomach overwhelmed her figure, and for the first time in a while, Chloe found herself thinking about the child inside her. What would she do now? She hated Jack for what he had done…how could she let him near their child? How did she know that if she did he wouldn't disappear again? He hadn't done too great of a job with the daughter he had already…could she trust him to be a part of her baby's life? As if on cue, she felt the baby move inside her. Placing a hand on her abdomen, she walked out the door and headed to Bill's office.

He saw her as she walked though the door, his stomach tightening in a knot. He knew why she was here, and he didn't want to have this conversation. Rising to his feet, he greeted her and helped her to a seat across from his desk as he sat down again, propping tired feet on his desk in a purely casual manner.

"I guess you're wondering why I'm here…" She began, feigning a smile embarrassedly.

"Somewhat," He lied. "what's on your mind?"

"I was just wondering what Jack said to you this morning…if he gave any reason why he had disappeared."

Bill sat upright, leaned forward toward her. "Now Chloe, you know I can't tell you that. What he said to me was classified information. While you two may be close, I can't share with you what he told me. I'm sorry."

Chloe's forehead wrinkled in desperation and what looked to Bill like a hint of disgust. "Well did he say anything that _wasn't_ classified? I kinda need to know something about what's going on here, you know." She snapped, motioning to her stomach. "I just want to know why he left like he did. No reasoning whatsoever. No 'goodbye', no 'screw off', no anything. He just faked dying in front of me one day so he could go do his own thing." Her voice broke, and she cleared her throat. "Bill, I'm not asking for a lot here. I just want to know why he did this so I can have a reason to hate him. Because right now, I don't know what to do."

Bill studied her face and saw the sincerity in her eyes, finally deciding what he had to do. He had to tell her the truth. "You shouldn't hate him, Chloe." He said finally, focusing his gaze on the stack of papers on his desk.

"Why shouldn't I?" She asked, her face marked with confusion.

"Because I'm the one that made him do it."

00000


	5. I'll Send an SOS to the World

Chloe blinked, stunned by what she had just heard. "What do you mean, _made_ him do it?" she questioned.

Bill took a breath. "Jack was part of an interagency operation, focused on keeping track of Yassir Al Amin, an Iranian terrorist with ties to some of the sleeper cells we know of in the United States. I assigned him the case last year, and up until eight months ago everything was going great."

"What happened eight months ago?" She wondered aloud.

"Our agents were turning up dead. We advised Jack to leave L.A until the investigation into their deaths was complete, hence the move outside the city. Turns out our Atlanta bereau had a dirty agent who had sold Amin the names of the people working the investigation, and he nad his men were hunting them down. We were able to get some information from the mole, and found out that Jack was next to be targeted." He paused, rubbing his temples wearily. "You have to understand…The only way to protect Jack…and you…was to make it look like someone had gotten to him first."

Chloe leaned back in the chair, taking stock of everything she had just been told. "So Jack knew about the threat, and didn't tell me."

"He couldn't. We were under orders from division to keep it strictly to ourselves. No one else at CTU had the slightest idea." Bill explained, knowing he wasn't helping mend her feelings for Jack. "He wanted to tell you, Chloe, he did. He hated having to keep it from you. He even suggested that we move you to a safe house until Amin was caught, but we couldn't make it look like we were protecting you or it would jeopardize the entire operation. He was genuinely worried about your safety. We discussed steps we could take to protect you if the threat became too great, and when we got intel stating that Amin's men were in the area, I had to give the order for Jack to 'die'." He sighed. "I honestly think it was the hardest thing he ever had to do."

Chloe's mind was numb. Everything was falling into place now. Jack's long nights at CTU, the move, his insistence that she go out with friends on her days off instead of staying at home alone, and now his death. Everything had been for her. To protect her, like he hadn't been able to protect the others he loved. The thought of it made her sick. She felt dizzy and her stomach was churning, nauseated not only from the truth of what had happened but also from breakfast. She stood up shakily, bracing herself on Bill's desk as she headed for the door. "Are you alright?" Bill asked, concerned at her sudden ill appearance. "Fine…" Chloe moaned, shutting her eyes against the now spinning room. Something was definitely wrong.

"Do you need some water?"

She shook her head sluggishly, knowing she would never make it out of his office now. "Bill…" She managed, feeling her consciousness slipping away. Rushing across the desk, Bill barely caught her before she collapsed in his arms.

0000


	6. End of the Innocence

She woke up unaware of her surroundings, her vision blurred at first. She groaned under her breath, blinking a few times until she recognized CTU's infirmary. What had happened? She felt a stinging sensation in her hand, and looked down to find an IV needle in her vein. "What the…" She mumbled. Looking around but seeing no one, she used the panel next to her bed to call the nurse. It wasn't long before the short, plump woman walked in with a clipboard and a smile plastered to her face. "Ah, Miss O'Brian. I see you're awake. How are you feeling?" She asked, a peculiar Southern drawl evident in her voice. Chloe shifted around nervously, sitting up in the bed. "Is my baby okay?" She blurted, ignoring the nurse's question. The woman nodded. "Junior seems to be fine right now. How far along are you?" Chloe calculated quickly. "Eight months yesterday." The woman nodded again, marking something down on her clipboard. "You should have nothing to worry about then. You've a ways to go yet." "Good…" Chloe breathed, relaxing slightly and resting her head on the pillow. "Seems you just caught a bit of a bug. Just get some rest and you'll be fine. Do you need anything?" She shook her head, then reconsidered. "Well, maybe just something for this backache…its been bothering me all day. I'm sure this didn't help."

The nurse nodded and headed out the door, leaving Chloe alone in the room. She shut her eyes, rested for a moment and tried to take in everything that happened today, though all she could really think about was that look of pain in Jack's eyes as he had left her in the bathroom that morning. She bit her lip, ashamed. He hadn't deserved that. "God, why am I so stupid…" She mumbled to herself. "For eight months all I did was want him back and now that he's here I treat him like he's the scum of the earth." She paused, looking down at her belly and feeling the burn of tears forming in her eyes. "Now he's gone again and he's really not coming back…" She laid a protective hand on her stomach, watching as hot tears spilled from her cheeks and fell onto her thumb. "I guess I really screwed you over, didn't I?" She asked the bump, who seemed to reply with a hard kick to the bladder. "Ow! Damnit…" She mumbled.

"You know, you really shouldn't curse in front of the baby…" A voice said quietly from the shadow of the doorway.

Startled, Chloe looked up to see Jack walking into her room, his face clearly wracked with concern. Chloe was surprised to find herself blushing at his comment. "You're back…" She said, looking him over. He had obviously showered, he was wearing fresh clothes and was now clean shaven, though his arms and face were still riddled with cuts and bruises, from what she didn't know. He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah…I hope you don't mind. I'll leave if--" "No!" She interrupted, extending her hand towards him. "Please stay…" Jack nodded.

"Alright…"

He pulled a chair up next to her bed and sat down, looking around the room awkwardly. "So, how're you feeling?" He asked, his voice shaky with what sounded almost like apprehension. Chloe sighed, frustrated not only at Jack's timid demeanor but also at the backache that was suddenly getting a lot worse. "Fine. Look, Jack. I need to apologize to you. I never should have said what I did…I was scared. I'm so sorry…"

He stayed silent for a moment, then placed a hand on top of hers gently. "You didn't need to apologize, Chloe." He replied softly, looking at her with bloodshot eyes. "You had every right to react the way you did. I…" His voice trailed and he stopped, cocked his head at her. "Are you alright?" He asked. Chloe's face twisted in pain and surprise. "Get the nurse…" She whispered urgently. "My water just broke."

0000


	7. Shock the Monkey

Jack's eyes widened in surprise. "Its not time for that, is it?" He asked, trying to keep calm. Chloe inhaled deeply, breathing through a contraction. "No Jack, it's not. That's why I'm telling you to get the nurse." She spat in reply. Jack nodded and into the hall, grabbing the first person he saw pass by. It was Chloe's nurse.

"Please, she's in labor." He pleaded, ushering her in. "How far apart are your contractions, hon?" The woman asked, taking Chloe's pulse and blood pressure and marking it on her chart quickly. Chloe winced. "Every few minutes now…" she breathed. "Is this bad? I'm just barely eight months. I was under the impression that a normal pregnancy lasted nine…" She groaned through another contraction, her abdomen almost tightening under the palms of her hands. Nurse Sloane, as her nametag read, handed Chloe a cup of ice chips as she took a look under the covers. "Sometimes things happen, dear." She explained in her unhurried country twang. "It could have been the fall you took, or it could have been any number of things. But whatever it was, it's sure effective. You're almost fully dilated."

Jack protectively held Chloe's hand in his, his face wracked with emotion. "Could it have been stress?" He asked the nurse. Chloe squeezed his hand gently, shaking her head. "Stop blaming yourself Jack. If it's anyone's fault, its mine." The pain was getting worse now, and beads of sweat were starting to form on her forehead. "Is the baby going to be okay?" She asked, suddenly afraid. The nurse's face darkened slightly. "Honey, I can't promise you anything there. We're going to do all we can. Have you had a healthy pregnancy so far?"

Chloe nodded.

"Then we'll hope for the best."

Hours passed slowly, and Chloe wondered why the hell she ever decided she wanted this baby after all. Her insides felt like they were being ripped apart with every contraction and she was tiring quickly. She watched Jack pace the room, surprised at how vulnerable he looked. This wasn't the Jack Bauer that most people knew. Hell, even she didn't know he could look like this. She knew he wanted to help, but that he didn't know exactly what to do. Another intense pain hit her, one worse than all the other ones. "OW!" she yelped, leaning forward in the bed and writhing in discomfort. Jack rushed to the bed. "What is it?" He asked, wiping sweat from her forehead with a cloth. She glared at him. "I'm in _labor_, Jack. There's a tiny being trying to push its way out of me. It hurts just a little!" To her surprise, he only smiled.

"It'll be over soon…you're doing a great job Chloe." He said, kissing the top of her head.

Chloe sighed, taking his hand in hers. "I'm scared, Jack…" She breathed. "What if there's something wrong with it? What if I'm a bad mother? What if you--" Jack silenced her, putting a finger to her lips. "Don't." He told her, squeezing her hand gently. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart. I promise. We're going to have a healthy baby, you're going to be a fantastic mother, and I'm not going anywhere, I swear to you. We'll make this work." His normally hard gaze was softened as he gazed at her, and she could hear the sincerity in his voice. But she found herself doubtful still.

"How do I know that, Jack?" She asked, tears welling in her eyes. "How do I know you won't go anywhere? Look at what's happened to us within the past year. Look at what's happened in the past day, even. How do I know we can do this?" She groaned under her breath as the latest wave of pain hit, and burst into tears.

Jack laid a hand on her stomach, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly. "You don't. Neither of us do. But we'll never know if we don't try it." He stopped, his voice choking up. "I love you, Chloe. I don't want to lose you again. The hardest thing I've ever had to do was live without you, and I'm never going to do it again."

Chloe looked at him, speechless. "Oh, Jack…" She managed after a beat, tears, sweat and mascara running down her face. He wiped her eyes with his finger, smiling now. "You're everything to me, Chloe. You and the baby." Chloe shifted upright in the bed, taking his hand tightly in her own. "You're everything to me too, Jack…really. I love you…" She breathed, her face twisting in pain. "And speaking of our baby, I think you'd better get someone because here it comes."

"Ohh, God!" Chloe groaned loudly, her head tilted back in agony. Jack frantically pushed the call button on the wall panel, the sound of footsteps growing louder until the figures of nurse Sloane and a young doctor emerged in the doorway. "Looks like we're having a baby in here!" The nurse exclaimed excitedly, checking Chloe and the baby's monitors. "Everything looks fine here, hon. Are you ready to start pushing?" Chloe nodded frantically. "YES!" She cried, sweeping sweat drenched hair out of her face. The doctor, who introduced himself as Dr. Young (ironically enough,) took a seat at the end of the bed and smiled at Jack. "Alright dad, ready to say hello to your new baby?" Jack swallowed, took Chloe's hand tightly.

"More than ready."

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_Oh, the sap. I'm having a hard time getting this ending going. Hope its not killing the story TOO badly. :P_


	8. Good morning, Beautiful

-1"Push!" The doctor instructed, no more than five minutes later. Chloe could hear the blood pounding in her head as she bore down.

"Harder!"

"I'm _trying!"_ She growled through clenched teeth. Bearing down even harder, she grabbed Jack's hand for support. "You put it in here, and you're gonna help get it out!" She cried. Jack winced slightly as his fingers were twisted into positions he didn't know they could twist. "You're doing great, Chloe…" He told her, knowing the words probably wouldn't mean much to her right now. Jack looked at the clock. Thirty minutes had gone by since she had started pushing. "Doctor, how much longer will this take?" He asked, making a vain attempt to hide the worry in his voice. Dr. Young smiled excitedly. "Just a little more. You're going to be parents very soon now. Don't worry." Jack nodded, planting a gentle kiss on Chloe's white knuckles as she took a break. "Jack.." She panted, her face white with exhaustion. "I don't think I can do this anymore…" Jack squeezed her hand gently as he looked into her tired eyes.

"Yes you can, Chloe. And you will. You can't quit now." He coached, anticipation evident in his voice. Chloe moaned quietly, the fatigue overwhelming her. Her muscles ached from pushing, her fingers hurt from clenching Jack's hand. The continued pounding of blood in her head, an effect of the blackout she had suffered earlier, was overpowering the voices of everyone else in the room. She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself before the doctor gave her the cue to continue. _Get a grip, Chloe…_She told herself, remembering that it wasn't too long ago she had told herself that for a very different reason. _You can do this. You have to do this. So you've had the day from hell. It all worked out in the end, didn't it? Kinda? Damn right it did. _She heard a muffled voice in front of her, looked up to see Dr. Young motioning that it was time to continue. She took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing…" She growled as she pushed down with everything she had in her. Clenching her teeth (and Jack's hand) tightly, she could barely make out the sounds of the doctor counting backwards from ten and Jack's muffled cries of encouragement. _Eight…seven…six…five…_The pain was unbearable. How was she ever going to…_four…three….two…_

And suddenly, nothing mattered anymore. A weight had been lifted, or rather, a baby had been born.

"Congratulations, Miss O'Brien, it's a boy!" Dr. Young exclaimed, laying the squalling, sticky, and rather bloody creature on her chest. "Oh…!" She murmured, staring at it with wide eyes. He was purple and wrinkly and…utterly beautiful. "Oh, Chloe…" Jack whispered gruffly. Chloe looked up at him, tears streaming down her face for what seemed like the millionth time today. "What do you think?" She asked him, a smile tugging at her mouth. Jack hesitated a moment, and when his gaze met hers she could see that he was crying as well. "He's beautiful, Chloe…he's absolutely beautiful." He managed, his voice just as shaky as his hand as he stroked the cheek of his wailing newborn son. Chloe leaned back in the bed, resting for what seemed like the first time in centuries. "Good…" She replied, a sly grin beginning to show. "Because I'm not doing that again."


	9. Makes Me Wonder

-1Hours passed, and after having the baby checked out, Jack and Chloe finally got to spend some time with their newborn son. Chloe smiled as Nurse Sloane placed the sleeping bundle in her tired arms. "You know…" She whispered, choking back more tears. "For your size, you really did give me a lot of trouble." The boy shifted slightly in his sleep, and Chloe felt Jack's arm around her shoulder as he gazed at his son for the first time. The boy was tiny, only four pounds, though his face and hands were a healthy pink and under his cap there was a mop of downy blonde hair. Jack beamed, kissing Chloe's forehead gently. "You did a great job, sweetheart." Chloe blushed slightly, embarrassed. "Thanks…you were pretty good yourself. You handled the cord like a pro." He stifled a laugh, then cleared his throat. "Chloe…I need to talk to you about something." He began, taking her hand in his. "It's not about work, is it?" she groaned quietly, lines beginning to form in her forehead. Jack shook his head. "No…it's about us." Chloe stiffened slightly, afraid of all the worst-case scenarios playing in her mind. "Oh…well, okay then."

Jack scratched the stubble on his jaw nervously. "Ever since we've been together I've felt…different." He began. "It never really dawned on me until I had to leave that what I was feeling was…well, it was love. To be honest, I didn't think I could ever really love anyone after Teri, but you…" He paused, his voice beginning to waver slightly as he looked at both Chloe and the baby she cradled in her arms. "You changed that, and I love you for it." Chloe smiled slightly. "I love yo--"

"Marry me, Chloe." He interjected, his gaze focused directly onto hers, watching her expression. She was stunned. Surely she had heard him wrong. "What?" She blurted, feeling her face being contorted into an expression of shock and excitement. Jack smiled. "Marry me!" He laughed, rather nervously.

Chloe remained silent for a moment, thinking it over. Did she really _want_ to marry him? Sure, he was great looking and very obviously in love with her, but after what had happened earlier that day…what had happened all those months ago…how could she really trust that he would always be there? She glanced at his face which was looking paler by the second, then looked at her newborn son, still sleeping quietly, unaware of anything going on around him. She knew what she had to do.

"Jack, I…"

She was interrupted by the sound of the door opening and looked up to see Dr. Young walking in with a clipboard. "Oh, I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" He asked, seeing the look on their faces as he came closer. Jack shook his head. "No, you're fine. Is everything okay?" Dr. Young nodded. "Everything's fine Mr. Bauer…I just need Miss O'Brien to clarify a few things for me." Chloe sighed. "What do you need?" She asked, irritated.

Dr. Young looked at his clipboard. "I just need to know two things, Miss O'Brien, then I'll leave you alone for the rest of the night. One, have you picked out a name for your son, and two, what would you like it to say on the birth certificate?"

Despite her frustration, Chloe grinned.

"His name is Jack…and his last name is Bauer."

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FIN!

_Well, that's a wrap. I'm a review whore, so lemme know what you think. I really had a blast writing it, and MANY thanks to those of you who left such awesome reviews. It made me blush just a little. I have to say the end of this story had me a little fried there for a while, hence the delay in it being posted. I hope you will forgive.I've got a sequel in the works as well as a not as cheerful alternate ending to thisun...because it's summer vacation and I literally have NOTHING on my agenda. If you'd like to see it, let me know and I'll see if I can't get it up here. Anyway, thanks again for the support, guys. Happy reading._


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